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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bass — low music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — clothes
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com